Majuba Hill. 287 



well provisioned; mine host attentive; the liquors good, 

 the climate delightful; the bright coal fire in the taproom, 

 the first we had seen in South Africa, and above all things, 

 Majuba Hill was within easy reach. Next morning, after 

 a capital breakfast, we found a pair horse ramshakle Stan- 

 hope and a guide waiting for us. Our amateur cicerone 

 was a Mr Petly of the Natal Mounted Police, who had, 

 at the thoughtful instigation of our landlord, volunteered 

 in the kindest possible manner to show us over the ground. 

 We were indeed lucky to have his courteous and intelligent 

 help ; for he had fought at Laing's Nek, and had been with 

 the main body of the troops when General Colley was shot. 

 After a drive of about four miles up the first slopes of the 

 mountain, we got out and walked up the steep hillside 

 which the Boers climbed on the morning of that memorable 

 27th February 1881. The position of the Transvaal troops 

 was behind Laing's Nek, which is a saddle in a low range 

 of hills, about five miles in extent, between high mountains, 

 which guard its flanks; the left being also secured by the 

 Buffalo River, which runs at the foot of the hills. This 

 neck, through which passed the line of communication be- 

 tween Natal and the Transvaal, is, on a rough guess, about 

 2000 feet lower than the hills on each side ; the higher of 

 the two being precipitous Majuba on the right. 



The Majuba mistake appears to have been due to the mad 

 egotism of Sir George Colley, who having been defeated at 

 Laing's Nek and at Ingago, evidently tried to retrieve his 

 reputation by a dash at Majuba during the temporary absence 

 of Sir Evelyn Wood, who had gone to Maritzburg in order to 

 hasten up the arrival of reinforcements. It was the custom 

 of the Boers to occupy Majuba by day with pickets, which 

 were withdrawn at night. On the morning of the 27th 

 February, they were surprised at seeing against the sky line 

 men moving on the crest of the now historical hill. Fearing 

 that their right flank would be turned, they gallantly resolved 

 to make a counter attack, and despatched about 400 men for 



